Air distributing conduit system for portable air conditioners



Nov. 22, 1960 F. s. GROTT 2,960,924

AIR DISTRIBUTING CONDUIT SYSTEMFOR PORTABLE AIR CONDITIONERS Filed Nov. 14, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 m BY 38 39 www ATTORNEYS Nov. 22, 1960 F. s. GROTT AIR DISTRIBUTING CONDUIT SYSTEM FOR PORTABLE AIR CONDITIONERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 14, 1957 ATTORNEYS 2,966,924 Patented Nov. 22, 1960 ice incl

AER BESTRIBUTING CONDUIT SYSTEM FOR PORTABLE AIR CONDITIONERS Frank S. Grott, 4012 Pinkney Road, Baltimore, Md.

Filed Nov. 14, 1957, Ser. No. 696,375

Claims. (CI. 98-94) The present invention relates to air distribution systems and more particularly to a novel conduit and a system employing such a novel conduit and adapted to extend the benefits of the cooling air output of single room window or console type air conditioners to remote room areas.

It is Well known in the art of air conditioners for use in the home and apartment buildings that the wiring of some of the older homes and apartments is not adequate to permit the installation of plural room air conditioning units. Oftentimes this wiring limitation leads an individual home owner with limited founds to purchase a single room air conditioning unit for the principal liv ing room area of the home or an owner of small apartment buildings to limit tenants of individual apartment units to a single room unit. The restricted user of air conditioners under such conditions often puts off the purchase of an air conditioner indefinitely with the idea of eventually having adequate wiring to handle plural units installed or until it is felt that he can afford a unit of suificient size to handle the entire living area with the necessary special heavy duty wiring. As a consequence, many persons desiring air conditioning or to extend air conditioning beyond the principal living area are deprived for more or less extensive periods of time of the much wanted benefits of air conditioning.

In recognition of this situation, some air conditioning manufacturers have developed portable units or have mounted regular units on wheeled support frames so the user can move the air conditioning unit from room to room if desired. In order to provide a unit having the desired portability, it is invariably necessary to cut downthe air handling capacity of the unit below that necessary to do an adequate job or, if adequate capacity is maintained, to provide a unit which is not conveniently movable, particularly by the ladies in the home or apartmeat.

It is the primary object of this invention to meet this prevalent wiring situation by providing an attachment type air distribution system of light weight and compact storage size that may be selectively readily connected to a permanently mounted window or console type air conditioner of conventional single room capacity and design to convey the cool air output to a room area remote from that in which the air conditioner is normally installed.

While air distribution systems of portable or -fixed type for remote application of the conditioned air supplied by a permanently located air conditioner have heretofore been proposed, these systems have been either of a fixed conduit type that is not readily detached for storing or which are subject to undesired accumulation of moisture condensation on the conduit Walls rendering them unsuitable for use in the average home or apartment unit. Examples of such prior air distribution systems are exemplified by United States Letters Patent 2,210,458, issued August 6, 1940, to L. S. Keilholtz; 2,348,45 5fissued May 9, 1944, to A. T. Dandelein; 2,669,101, issued February 16, 1954, to J. T. Shields; and 2,746,372, issued May 22, 1956, to W. E. Smith et al., the systems of the last two patents being primarily adapted for vehicle air conditioning.

It, accordingly, is a further important object of this invention to provide a distribution system composed of suitable lengths of light weight, flexible and collapsible tubing of air impervious plastic, cellophane or like material or substantially air impervious material, such as muslin or the like, of any desired cross sectional configuration the opposite ends of which are provided with quick action coupling means for detachably associating the tubing with the cool air outlet area of a conventional air conditioner and with a fixedly connected, hollow bodied, distributor head adapted to direct the discharge cooling air in any one of several desired directions into the area to be cooled and to serve, when not in use, as a storage case for the tubing.

Another object of the present invention resides in forming the tubing of the present invention in a manner to avoid the condensation on the tubing of the contained moisture of the replaced warm air flowing from the area to be cooled past the tubing toward the warm air inlet area of the air conditioner.

Further objects will appear from the following description when read in conjunction with the appended claims and accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a multiroom living area of a home or apartment unit showing the air distribution system of the present invention operatively installed in conjunction with one form of a conventional window mounted room type air conditioning unit available on the market;

Figure 2 is a fragmental sectional view illustrating in plan the floor layout of the air distribution system of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view through the inlet end of the distribution tubing of Figure 1 illustrating a preferred form of detachable connection used in connection with the conventional air conditioning unit of Figure l and a preferred tube construction adopted to avoid objectionable moisture condensation on the outer tube wall in use;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view through a typical preferred form of distribution head illustrating a preferred connection of the tubing to the distribution head inlet and the general arrangement of the folded tubing when stored in the distribution head;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 3 illustrating an alternate form of detachable tube connection employed in conjunction with a different form of conventional room type air conditioner available on the market; and

Figure 6 is a fragmental elevational view of a modified form of single wall low air leakage fabric'conduit suitable for use in carrying out the present invention.

With continued reference to the drawings wherein like reference numerals are used throughout the several views to indicate the same parts, numeral 10 indicates generally the air distribution system of the present invention employed to supply cooling air to the two rear room areas 12 and 13 remote from living room area 14 for which the room air conditioning unit 15 is primarily provided. As will be clear from a consideration .of Figures 1 and 2, the living area here illustrated is a three room and hall unit all disposed on a single 'fioor level indicated by numeral 16 (Figure 1). The living room area, as is generally the case, includes the greater cubic content ofthis three room and hall unit and the air conditioner 15 is a window type unit mounted in a front window 16 the upper and lower sashes 17 and 18 of which close the window area above the air conditioner 15. While air conditioner 15 may be of any desired make and size, that preferred and illustrated in Figures 1 through 3 embodies :a circular cool air outlet passage area or wheel 21 at one side, a generally rectangular air inlet passage area .22 (Figure 2) adapted to admitwarm or stale air from the living area into the opposite side of conditioning unit 15 and expel it into the outside atmosphere or circulate it through the filtering and cooling mechanism (not shown) depending upon the setting of the controls (not shown) and employs a H.P. motor connected with a 2-speed blower and a compressor arranged to condition and deliver sufficient quantities of cooled air to effectively cool a room area of 485 square feet or better. Such a unit is rated to cool a room 30 ft. x 16 ft. and is or"- fered on the open market by Fedders-Quigan Corp, Maspeth, New York, as their model 79D. In such units, the

circular cool air outlet passage area or wheel 21 has a circular rim 22 (Figure 3) protruding slightly from the inner face of the unit. This rim 22 provides an ideal element for attachment of the conduit 23 of the air distribution system 10 provided by this invention and which will now be described in detail.

Conduit 23 comprises a suitable length of air impervious, light weight, thermo-sealing material of suitable cross sectional configuration, such as flexible cellophane or thin, flexible, plastic material leading from air outlet passage 21 to either an air distribution manifold chamber 24 or a distribution head 25 depending upon whether two or more remote room areas or only a single remote room area are to be cooled. Since the cooled air discharged from air conditioner 15 quickly cools the thin tube wall to a temperature below that of the ambient air in the living unit, condensation of the moisture in the ambient air upon the exterior wall of tube 23 will occur unless the tube is rendered condensation proof in some suitable manner. While this end may be secured in any of many ditferent ways known to the art, the present invention proposes that tube 23, either throughout its full length or a substantial length extending from the air conditioner 15 toward the end connected to the air distribution manifold chamber 24 or distribution head 25, is of double walled construction providing an insulating dead or static air chamber 26 therebetween (Figures 3 and 5) or be made of a closely woven, low air leakage fabric, such as muslin, or a simulated low leakage material, the slight air leakage characteristic of which is sufiicient to prevent physical contact of the moisture laden ambient air with the cool outer wall of the tube.

Such a tube is readily formed from the thermo sealing .materials heretofore mentioned by telescoping a cellophane or plastic tube 27 of relatively smaller diameter within a similar cellophane or plastic tube 28 of a diameter roughly equal to that of wheel rim 22 and sealingly securing the ends of the inner tube 27 to the interior wall of tube 28 as indicated by numeral 29 (Figures 3 and 5) by a suitable heating iron.

tic articles and need not be disclosed here.

As clearly seen from Figure 30f the drawing, the sealed joint of tubes 27 and 28- at the entrance end of the preferred form of tube 23 is offset inwardly from the end of tube 28 which is in turn turned inwardly upon itself around a continuous elastic band 31 and heat sealed to itself along an area designated by numeral 32. In the V Such. irons are well a known in the 'art of heat uniting of cellophane and plas- 35 provided to assure entry of air from outlet area 21 into chamber 26, tube 27 is otherwise imperforate assuring a static condition of the air in chamber 26 once the chamber 26 is filled with air. This static air being normally injected at the beginning of a cycle of operation is introduced into chamber 26 at a temperature approximating original room temperature and serves as an ideal insulating medium to insulate the cool wall of tube 27 from contact with the ambient air drawn inwardly toward and along conduit 23 to air conditioner inlet area 22. As a consequence, moisture condensation from the expelled air is prevented assuring effective operation of conduit 23 in delivering air conditioned air to remote room areas 12 and 13.

To avoid any possibility of inner tube 27 collapsing inwardly and withdrawing from tube 28 between its sealed connections 29, a condition likely to close off the normal air passage through conduit 23, the tubes 27 and 28 are preferably spot welded by application of heating irons at staggered spaced areas 36. The thermo sealing characteristics of the material employed in the tubing assures secure spot weld contacts giving the wall of the tubing, when inflated, the appearance of a quilted material.

While the tube end 38 remote from the air conditioning unit 15 is preferably directly fixedly secured to a distributor head 25 to be placed in one of several remote room areas (see Figure 4), it is well known that the air conditioning required for comfort after the sun sets is appreciably lessened, may even be about A of day time requirements. Thus, while the full H.P. capacity of unit 15 may be required to cool the relatively large living room area 14 of the drawings during the day time, this single unit will have a capacity wholly sufficient to reduce the temperature of both remote room areas 12 and 13 to a comfortable temperature at night. Since selective air conditioning of different home areas of the character just mentioned often meets the full needs of the average small home owner or apartment dweller, the tube 23 preferably should provide two or at the most three discharge branches for supplying cooling air to the relatively smaller remote bedroom areas. While these discharge branches may be provided in any suitable practical manner, the present invention contemplates form- 'ing the discharge end 38 of tube 23 with an elastic draw band 31 (Figure 4) identical to that employed at the opposite end and connecting tube end 38 to a manifold chamber 24 (Figures 1 and 2) having rimmed connections 39 on its four vertical faces. The end 38 of tube 23 may then be connected to one connection 39 and branch tubes 41 and 42 alone or together with a third branch tube (not shown) of identical construction .but shorter length than tube 23 may be connected to the remaining connections 39 and lead to individual distributor heads 25 located in the several remote room areas to be air conditioned. To assure substantially uniform distribution of the conditioned air 'to the several branch lines, manifold 24 is preferably provided with vertically extending curved deflector walls 43 and 44 (Figure 2) to divide the conditioned air entering manifold 24 into three substantially equal branch supply streams.

While distributor heads 25 may take any suitable form, they preferably consist of a main body 45 of generally rectangular configuration in cross section having an inlet end 46 having a generally circular inlet opening defined by an inwardly directed flange element 47 and an opposed outlet end 48 providing a rectangular discharge opening 49 defined by marginally extending inturned flanges 51. Discharge opening 49 is preferably fitted with a vane type deflector plate 52 composed of a rectangular frame ele ment dimensioned to overlie inturned flanges 51 and pivotally supporting a series of horizontally extending air deflector vanes 53 the angularity of which can be individually varied in Well known manner to direct the cooled air along a desired discharge path. Deflector plate 52 is detachably secured to flanges 51 by suitable round headed securing screws 54 threaded into tapped screw holes-(not shown) formed in flanges 51 in well known manner.

As clearly appears from Figure 4, elastic band 31 at tube end 38 or the similar elastic band provided at the distributor head ends of each branch tube 41 and 42 is assembled onto the end of the inwardly extending'outer peripheral wall of flange 47 and the remainder of the tube is returned bent upon itself around flange 47 and pulled outwardly through the inlet opening defined by flange 47. This leaves substantially the full length of the various tubes free to be laid out along the floor leading to the air conditioner 15 so the free end can be readily distended and connected to wheel rim 22 and leaves the interior of head 25 free for storage of the folded tube when not in use as shown in Figure 4.

Assuming storage of the tube is desired the tube end will be disconnected from air conditioner 15 and laid out on the floor. The user will then smooth the tube out moving from the inner end of the double wall section toward the end which has been disconnected from the air conditioner to dispel all air from the air chamber 26 through openings 35. When this air is dispelled the flattened tube may be folded back and forth upon itself until the distributor head is reached. The folded tube length is then arched transversely and stuffed endwise into the distributor head inlet opening to form the storage unit of Figure 4.

In event the air conditioner to be fitted with the distribution system of this invention does not employ the wheel rim 22 and is of the type generally depicted in Figure 5 by numeral 55 wherein the lower half 56 extending from side to side of the front face comprises the conditioned air outlet and the upper half 57 comprises the return air inlet, the magnetic retainer ring 34 of Figure 5 or some other suitable connector structure such as hooks, suction cups, pressure type adhesives, zipper connections or the like may be employed. Such connections may involve fitting the front face with an elongated cover member indicated generally by numeral 61 defining a circular discharge opening 62. Such a cover member formed of magnetic sheet metal and providing apertured rim elements arranged to be held in place by elongated screws (not shown) passing through the screw holes provided in the decorative cabinet edges and threaded into the screw ears (not shown) normally provided for the usual cabinet securing screws should suflice. If the front face structure provides magnetic metal divider strips located in place of the cover member strips 61 of Figure 5, the cover member could be magnetically secured to these strips or the tube end to be attached to the air conditioner could itself be flared out to the desired configuration to enclose the air outlet area and suitably fitted with the desired magnetic or other attachment means without departing from the present invention.

Should it not be desired to utilize a double wall tube of impervious material, condensation proof distribution tubing of low leakage fabric as heretofore pointed out may be employed. Such a tubing is illustrated in Figure 6 by numeral 23a and comprises a woven tube made up of longitudinal threads 71 passing alternately over and under cross thread 72 and forming interstices 73 therebetween typical of those present in muslin and like fabrics. In operation such fabric tubes permit an outward leakage through interstices of the pressurized cool air delivered into the tube with the result that the cooling ambient air and the warming leakage air along the tube surface elfect a substantially uniform moisture exchange obviating moisture condensation on the tube. While such a fabric tube may entail a cool air loss of up to 10%, its lesser bulk and cheapness recommend its usage.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to 6 be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced thereinb What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a conventional window type, single room air conditioner having air inlet and air outlet passage areas, an air distribution attachment for selectively conveying the pressure discharged cooled air from said air outlet passage area to at least one remotely located room area comprising flexible and collapsible air impervious, light weight, plastic-like tubular conduit means of indeterminate length having detachable connection means at one end for removably securing said one end in surrounding air receiving relation to said air outlet passage area of said air conditioner and capable, upon disassociation of said one end from said air conditioner and collapsing of said tubular conduit means, of being folded longitudinally upon itself to form the major portion of its length into a flat, pliable, compact sto-rable packet and means rendering a substantial length thereof extending from said one end toward said other end condensation proof comprising a double wall tube portion composed of inner and outer lengths of air impervious, light weight, plastic-like tubing the respective ends of the inner tube length being sealingly joined to said outer tube length throughout their peripheral areas of contact to form a dead air space therebetween, said inner length of tube at said one end having peripheral-1y spaced through openings therein arranged to direct pressurized air discharged from said air conditioner air outlet passage area into said dead air space to supply a volume of static air operative to isolate the cooled inner tube wall from the ambient air in the room areas through which said conduit means passes whereby said cooled air may be effectively conveyed from said air conditioner to and through said other end of said conduit means into said remotely located room area under pressure so as to establish a continuous circulation of air toward and through said air conditioner air inlet passage area to be cooled and returned through said tubular conduit means to cool or condition the air in said remotely located room area.

2. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said inner and outer lengths of plastic-like tubing are spot weld connected at irregularly axially and peripherally spaced points to structurally join said inner and outer tube lengths throughout their concurrent lengths to minimize the dead air space cross-sectional area and assure functioning of said conduit means throughout the concurrent lengths of said inner and router tubing as a double walled conduit.

3. A conduit for selective attachment to a room type air conditioner to convey the cooled, conditioned outlet air through the building area normally intended to be cooled thereby to one or more remote building areas to cool said remote areas comprising a length of flexible, collapsible, air impervious light weight, plastic-like tubing, means rendering at least a portion of said conduit extending from one end toward the other end condensation proof, said means comprising a double walled portion composed of inner and outer lengths of said tubing the respective ends of the inner tube length being sealingly joined to said outer tube length throughout their peripheral areas of contact to form a dead air space therebetween and having at its end adjacent said one conduit end peripherally spaced through openings arranged to direct said outlet air into said dead air space to supply a volume of static air operative to isolate the air cooled inner tube from the ambient warm air in the building pre venting formation of objectionable condensation along the outer exposed conduit wall; means at said one end for removably securing said one end of said conduit to 7 said air conditioner in position to receive the outlet air from said air conditioner; and means at said other end for distributing said cooled conditioned outlet air passing into and through said conduit to said remote building areas.

4. The conduit of claim 3 wherein said removable securing means at said one conduit end comprises an elastic band secured in peripherally continuous relation to said one conduit end and dimensioned to draw said one conduit end radially inwardly whereby said conduit end may be expanded or distended to freely pass around an air outlet area of a conventional window or console type air conditioner and, upon release, contract radially into reasonably air tight encompassing engagement therewith.

5. A conduit for selective attachment to a room type air conditioner to convey the cooled, conditioned outlet air through the building area normally intended to be cooled thereby to one or more remote building areas to cool said remote areas comprising a length of flexible, collapsible, light weight, plastic-like tubing at least a portion of which extending from one ,end toward the other end is of double walled construction providing a dead air space isolating the air cooled inner tube wall from the ambient warm air in the building preventing formation of objectionable condensation along the outer exposed conduit wall; means at said one end for removably securing said one end of said conduit in position surrounding the outlet of said air conditioner; and means at said other end for distributing said cooled conditioned outlet air passing into and through said conduit to said remote building areas, said last named means comprising a manifold chamber having at least three angularly related tube connections, one of which is removably secured to said other tube end and at least two other connections having flexible and collapsible branch tubes removably secured thereto at one end and leading to respective rigid box-like distribution heads including chamber defining walls providing an inlet passage connected to the other end of its respective branch tube and an outlet passage including deflector means adapted to determine the discharge direction of the cooled air during normal operation of said conduit.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 39,237 Mayall July 14, 1863 584,259 Baxter June 8, 1897 1,146,490 Gaddis July 13, 1915 1,922,431 Geyer Aug. 15, 1933 2,348,455 Daudelin May 9, 1944 2,595,408 Quest May 6, 1952 2,658,439 Royal Nov. 10, 1953 2,742,250 Cronberger Apr. 17, 1956 2,787,289 Press Apr. 2, 1957 2,796,822 Nikolajcvic June 25, 1957 2,813,741 Janos Nov. 19, 1957 2,824,575 Rosen Feb. 25, 1958 2,835,186 Goldsmith May 20, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 782,670 Great Britain Sept. 11, 1957 

